Controversy has arisen over a decision by the city hall of Slatina in southern Romania's Olt County to spend 20,000 euros on martenitsa and flowers for the city's women, Digi 24 TV reported. Local residents criticized the idea, commenting that the city needed sidewalks and sewers more.
At a meeting of the Local Council late last week, 12 out of 20 councilors voted to allocate 100,000 lei (about 20,000 euros) to buy martenitsa and flowers for the city's women.
According to tradition in Romania, martenitsa are only given to women.
The mayor of Slatina Mario-Lucian de Mezzo said that the martenitsa will cost 3,000 euros, one euro each, and 3,000 flowers in pots will also be bought and distributed to women in the city.
However, local residents are expressing dissatisfaction with this decision and say that the city's priorities are different. A resident of Slatina told Digi 24 that this is a “very bad decision” and indicated that she needs not martenitsa, but “where to go and sewage”. Another resident also points out the need for sewage and street repairs in Slatina and adds that the money allocated for martenitsa "is a lot".
The mayor of Slatina said that if they are not spent on martenitsa and flowers, the funds will be directed to projects related to culture, the television reported.